Shirel Golan, a survivor of the Nova music festival massacre, was found dead on her 22nd birthday on Sunday, October 20, in her apartment in Porat, near Netanya, Israel. Golan had been struggling with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the tragic Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Her brother, Eyal Golan, revealed that Shirel had been hospitalized twice due to her PTSD symptoms, but he blames the Israeli government for not providing the necessary help she needed. "If the state had taken care of her, none of this would have happened," he said. "The State of Israel killed my sister twice. Once in October, mentally, and a second time today, on her 22nd birthday, physically."
Shirel had attended the Nova festival in southern Israel with her partner, Adi, when Hamas militants launched an attack on festivalgoers, killing 364 people. The couple managed to survive by hiding under a bush for hours and narrowly avoided joining others in a car that was later ambushed. They were eventually rescued by police officer Remo Salman El-Hozayel, who was credited with saving 200 people during the massacre.
In the aftermath of the attack, Shirel exhibited signs of PTSD, including disassociation and withdrawal. Her family said they tried to provide support, with her mother even taking early retirement to care for her. Despite their efforts and the assistance of a grassroots organization, Tribe of Nova Community, Shirel did not receive any formal help from the government, her brother claimed.
Eyal expressed deep sorrow, saying, "The only time we left her alone was today, and she decided to take her own life."
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